Picking up the Pieces  DracoHermione
by Claire Hardcastle
Summary: Draco has to kill Dumbledore. Hermione has to help him, or see everyone she holds dear die.
1. Chapter 1

_She saw Harry lying on the floor, his glasses knocked askew and his lightning scar visible through the strands of dark hair. Screaming his name, she raced forward on the sleek black floor, kneeling beside his broken form. A hand gripped her shoulder and she jumped. Turning around, she came face to face with the snakelike red eyes of Lord Voldemort himself . . . _

Hermione sat up, breathing hard. The book in her lap fell with a clatter, making her jump again. Looking around, she sighed. She'd fallen asleep on the couch again, reading. _Hogwarts, A History _lay open on the carpet beside her, and she reached down to get it, groaning at the stiffness in her back. The house was dark. Gazing at the digital clock on the mantle, she saw that it was two o clock in the morning.

She stood up and walked into the kitchen, still wearing the jeans and top she'd had on before she dozed off. There was an assortment of newspapers on the table, including _The Daily Prophet. _Picking it up, she put some tea in the microwave and flipped absentmindedly through the pages. There were yet more disappearances, more deaths attributed to the Death Eaters. A bridge not far from her home had collapsed without warning. Ironically, the _Prophet _blamed the Ministry's ignorance as the cause of the accidents, not the murderous skills of You-Know-Who.

_At least I'll be at Ron's tomorrow. That should take my mind off things, _she thought. Hermione could hear her father's snores echoing down the hallway. Finishing the last of her tea, she rose and made her way to her bedroom.

It was pitch black inside, so she had no warning when suddenly something long and sharp was at her neck. A wand. Her heart began to beat faster as she reached into her pocket for her own.

"Don't even think about it," sneered a familiar voice.

Someone muttered _Lumos_, and suddenly the room was illuminated. Bellatrix Lestrange stood inches away, the curved claw of her wand ready to inflict pain or death upon anyone who dared challenge her. Behind her lurked two other Death Eaters, unidentifiable due to the strange masks they wore. Thinking quickly, Hermione tried to formulate a plan, but _Death Eaters are in my house, Death Eaters are in my house _was the only thing echoing through her mind.

Then Bellatrix had ahold of her hair, and she cried out in pain as the other witch forced her to the floor. "You're coming with us, Mudblood," one of the other Death Eaters snarled as he removed his mask with a flick of his wand. With a chill of hatred, Hermione recognized Lucius Malfoy.

"What are you doing here? Get out!" she yelled futilely. All three of You-Know-Who's servants laughed. She tried to twist out of Bellatrix's grasp, but she only yanked harder on her hair.

"My parents!" she protested, struggling harder. "Leave them alone!"

"It's too late for that, precious friend of Harry Potter! They're dead in their beds!" Bellatrix cackled madly.

Hermione's breath stopped. Her mind began racing, refusing to contemplate that she might be telling the truth. "You're lying! What do you want? I'll give it to you! Anything!"

"We want Potter, silly girl, but unfortunately you don't have the power to give him to us. Bloody Dumbledore is keeping him safe."

She was about to say _I'd never give him to you anyway, no matter what_, but held her tongue.

"The girl still doesn't believe us, Dolohov!" Lucius crooned to the last, still unmasked, Death Eater. "Maybe we should give her proof."

Bellatrix heaved her to her feet and pushed her roughly out the hallway and into her parents' room. Hermione fought her all the way. Lucius flipped on the light carelessly and threw back the blankets covering her parents' forms.

"NOOOOOO!" Hermione screamed. The Grangers were dead, their blank eyes staring into nothing, forever focused on the green flash that had ended their lives.

Bellatrix put a hand over her mouth, and Hermione's tears spilled over it. She couldn't believe it. They were supposed to be safe! They were Muggles, for crying out loud! What could Voldemort possibly gain by killing them? Memories flashed through her mind. Getting her first Hogwarts' letter, seeing the pride on her parents' faces as she boarded the train, and feeling the warmth of their hugs every time she returned. Agony filled her as she longed for them, for every part of them that was now gone, leaving only cold shells behind in the bed.

Her despair quickly turned to bitter anger. Going limp, she sank to the floor, taking Bellatrix by surprise and dragging the other witch with her. Before she could regain her footing, Hermione struck out with a foot, scrambled to her feet, and pulled out her wand, wiping a hand across her eyes to clear her vision.

_Petrificus Totalus! _

Dolohov collapsed and Hermione sprinted for the door. Before she could make it more than a few feet, though, another set of hands grabbed her. A black leather glove clamped across her mouth and a silky voice came from behind.

"Now, now, you didn't really think we'd allow you to escape that easily?"

Bellatrix leapt, screaming obscenities, to her feet and strode toward Hermione, wand raised. Lucius was quick to intervene. "Stop! The Dark Lord wants her alive!"

The black haired witch wasn't so quick to comply. "Get out of my way! If it wasn't for me, you'd still be in Azkaban!"

Lucius Malfoy gasped in fake horror. "You would _defy the Dark Lord's wishes_?"

That seemed to stop her in her tracks. Scowling, she strode away, leaving the rest of them to follow. Hermione was still in bad condition, and she twisted her body around as Lucius pushed her out of the room, trying to get a last glimpse at her parents.

Before she could, however, all three Death Eaters Disapparated, taking her with them. They reappeared in front of an imposing black house, into which she was forced, still kicking and screaming through the hand on her mouth. She tried to bite down but couldn't seem to move her mouth very much.

Waiting inside the house were three people. Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and Lord Voldemort himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione gasped involuntarily. For a moment, the tragic loss of her parents was pushed to the back of her mind as shock filled it. Sure, Harry had told her what You-Know-Who looked like. He'd described the sickly green skin, the slitted red eyes, the feeling of hatred and cruelty almost tangible around him. But seeing Voldemort in person was ten times more terrifying.

Lucius dumped her unceremoniously onto the floor. She lay there for a second against the cold floor, closing her eyes and trying mentally to prepare herself for whatever would come next. Her parents' death had created an open wound in her heart, which she desperately tried to ignore for the moment being. Distantly she remembered that Voldemort was a highly accomplished Legilimens. If there was any sign of weakness in her mind, he'd find it and use it.

Trying hard to calm her ragged breathing, she pushed herself up and stood, shaking.

"Miss Granger. Delighted you could join us. The loss of your parents is truly . . . unfortunate."

This time, no biting reply formed on her tongue. It was half because she was terrified, and half because You-Know-Who had reminded her of exactly the thing she'd been trying to forget.

"Bring her." Voldemort said, and left.

For a second, she caught Draco Malfoy's gaze. She'd known his father was a Death Eater – she'd fought him alongside Harry at the Ministry not too long before, but had no idea Voldemort was actually in his house. She knew Malfoy was a git. He'd mocked her all his life for being a filthy Mudblood. The greatest happiness she'd ever gleaned from him was the day she'd punched him in the face in their third year. But what must it be like, she wondered, to be forced into this life? A life where Voldemort owns you?

But Draco merely sneered at her and turned to follow Voldemort and his mother. Obviously she'd find no help in this house of horrors. Bellatrix prodded Hermione in the back with her wand again as she passed, and she went with them, looking around for any means of escape. Not that it would do any good, with Voldemort himself around.

They went into what she assumed was the dining room. A massive table occupied most of the space, and a spidery black chandelier hung over their heads. Hermione barely noticed. She stared at the black floor, seeing not herself in the reflection, but her parent's bodies. She couldn't remember hearing her dad's snoring stop. Something like that should have mattered to her, shouldn't it? If only she'd heard, then they might still be alive. And how long had the Death Eaters been in the house before she'd gone into her room?

Voldemort's cold voice pulled her back into the present. Her heart was hammering at top speed again. _What do they want from me? Why am I here? Is it just because I'm Harry's friend?_

She couldn't help thinking that if being Harry's best mate was the only reason she was here, then she wished they'd picked Ron instead. But she reprimanded herself for thinking that. Hermione would never wish the agony she was in on anyone else.

"Draco." Said You-Know-Who.

Malfoy's head snapped up. He obviously hadn't been expecting to hear his name called. Stepping forward nervously, he answered, "Yes, My Lord?"

It was strange to see Malfoy submitting to someone instead of the other way around, which was always what happened at Hogwarts. The previous year, he'd taken every opportunity to push around first years with his powers as prefect. And he never had any objections to calling out insults when she, Harry, and Ron were around. Hermione couldn't help feeling a twinge of satisfaction at seeing him finally brought to his knees.

"Give me your arm." Voldemort said. Draco hesitantly lifted it and You-Know-Who pulled back the sleeve.

She realized what was about to happen a second before Malfoy, which was another second before it actually did. Voldemort touched his wand to the bare arm, and Draco's cry ripped the air. Black marks burst across the white skin, twisting into the familiar shape of the Dark Mark. Malfoy threw back his head, positively yelling, and Voldemort smiled.

Then it was over, and Hermione was left, shocked and gaping. She hurriedly closed her mouth before You-Know-Who noticed. Draco was trembling, and she got the sense that he was fighting very hard to stay upright and keep from screaming again. Grudgingly she admired his courage.

"Now then, Hermione."

Her heart stopped for the tenth time that night.

"You're probably wondering why you're here." Voldemort stroked the white bone of his wand. "You see, Draco has a special mission this year and needs some . . . assistance."  
>She'd found her voice. "Why me?"<p>

Voldemort gave his bone chilling smile again. "Miss Granger, I am very aware of the fact that you are not just one of Harry Potter's best friends, but also the best witch in your year. Perhaps in all the years. Naturally, I only want the best."

"How do you know anything about me?" she snarled, surprised at how forceful her words were.

"You filthy little Mudblood!" Bellatrix Lestrange spat. "Know your place before the Dark Lord!"

"Hush, Bella." Voldemort admonished. She immediately obeyed. "I am perfectly capable of handling affairs on my own, thank you."

He turned back to Hermione. A flick of his wand, and suddenly she lay spread-eagled on the floor, gasping. She heard the rustle of his robes as he moved to stand over her.

"Miss Granger, I'm not sure you understand. You will be doing whatever I ask of you, or you won't be the only friend of Harry Potter's to lose his family."

_The Weasleys, _she thought immediately. Or maybe Luna's family. Or Neville's. She imagined all of them in her position, all the people she loved. And the broken bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley on the floor . . .

She glared at Voldemort. "What do you want?"

He laughed softly, knowing he'd gotten the result he'd expected.


	3. Chapter 3

They were on the train to Hogwarts. Hermione looked out the window, watching the countryside pass. She'd spent the last two months of summer with Harry, Ron, and Ron's family. It had been wonderful, and had given her time to recover from the devastating loss of her parents. Not that she could tell anyone about it, but just being around Harry and Ron was enough. When she went to bed every night, though, she'd been haunted with dreams of her terrifying experience. After she'd awoken Ginny a couple of times with her cries, she'd cast a spell around her bed to hide any sounds she might make. She couldn't have them worrying, or asking questions she couldn't answer.

Though she longed to tell her friends the truth, she knew they'd do the same if in her position. There was no way she'd endanger her friends or their families. And after a while, it became easy to pretend that everything was alright.

Going back to Hogwarts, though, would present a whole new set of challenges. She'd have to find some kind of legitimate excuse for disappearing every day to help Malfoy with his horrible mission. It still sickened her to be helping her greatest enemy, but what choice did she have? And what she had to help Draco do was even worse.

Hermione remembered seeing Malfoy walk up to Voldemort again a few minutes after he'd had the Dark Mark burned into his flesh.

"What can I do for you, My Lord?" he'd said, looking slightly grey in the face, likely from pain.

Voldemort hadn't spoken for a long while. Out the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Narcissa Malfoy watching nervously. She herself couldn't imagine what kind of important message You-Know-Who would give to a sixteen year old, for crying out loud. Then it hit her. All this made sense. Lucius Malfoy had dropped the prophecy at the Ministry that day, the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort the latter had wanted so badly. Then Lucius had gotten himself caught by the Ministry and sent to Azkaban. Obviously the Death Eaters had gotten him back, but Voldemort must be furious with him and his entire family.

_He's using Draco to punish his father. _Despite her dislike of Malfoy, she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. Voldemort was probably giving him some ridiculously hard mission he'd have no hope of completing, just to get revenge on Lucius.

"Your mission, Draco, is to kill Albus Dumbledore."

The room had gone deathly quiet. No one moved. The only sound was Narcissa quietly sobbing into her husband's shoulder. He didn't even attempt to console her. Draco looked stricken, but recovered his composure quickly. Hermione wondered if his façade of strength was for his personal benefit, for his parents', or for Voldemort.

After Draco had sworn to do his best, and she'd sworn to help in whatever way she could, Voldemort had dismissed them all and sent Hermione promptly to the Burrow. A couple days ago, she'd gone with Harry and the Weasleys to Diagon Alley. They'd seen Malfoy there. While they were in Fred and George's new joke shop, Harry had spotted Malfoy walking up the street alone and decided to follow him. She'd gone along, half to stop Harry and Ron from finding out anything they shouldn't, and half to make sure that if they did, she was there to share her side of the story. Because she desperately wished she didn't have to bear the horrible burden Voldemort had given her alone.

But Draco had simply gone into Borgin and Burke's to look at a Vanishing Cabinet, the sister to one in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. She knew exactly what he wanted to use it for, and kept her thoughts to herself. And here she sat on the Hogwarts Express, pretending everything was fine.

Harry and Ron were talking about some new broom that had come out over the summer. They gestured excitedly, completely ignoring her. They didn't mean to, of course, but simply assumed she was lost in her book. In truth, she'd read the same sentence twenty times in the last hour before something else distracted her.

"I'm going to the snack trolley." She announced, trying to make her voice sound as bright as possible. "Anyone else want anything?"

Ron rummaged around in his pockets for a second, then handed her a couple Knuts and told her how many Chocolate Frogs he wanted. Harry did the same, then told Hermione to give Ron his money back; that he'd pay for it all.

Hermione left the compartment and made her way down the train. Spotting the snack cart a few cars down, she strode purposefully down the aisle. Then someone stood up, stepping right in her path. She took in the Muggle clothes, worn by every student on the train until they got to Hogwarts, passed the face, and fixated on the white-blond hair.

Inhaling sharply, she met his silver gaze. Draco Malfoy's expression gave away nothing. He turned his head slightly, seemingly remembering that all his Slytherin friends were right behind him, then gave her a sneer and pushed past. Hermione exhaled, not remembering exactly when she'd stopped breathing. She got Harry and Ron's snacks in a daze and rushed back to their seats, refusing to look left or right for fear she'd see him again. She realized she'd have to get used to keeping up her everything-is-fine mask while around Malfoy, the other pawn in the game her life had turned into.

Seemingly moments later, they were at Hogwarts. Hermione looked down only to discover that she'd already put on her robes, though she couldn't recall when. The carriage ride to the castle was uneventful. As always, she was awed by the beauty of Hogwarts, especially when it was all lit up against the night sky. She greeted Luna and Neville, along with many of the other friends she'd missed over the summer. They went up the steps as a group and made their way into the Great Hall. Before she could go in, though, a hand gripped her arm and pulled her away. Harry, Ron, and the others went on, not noticing she was gone.

She was dragged to the side, into a nearby stairwell where no passers by could see. Whipping around to yell at whoever had had the nerve to force her there, she came face to face with Malfoy for the second time that day. This time, he only increased her annoyance.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Shh! Do you want all of Hogwarts to hear you, Granger?" Draco hushed her.

Hermione almost laughed. Obviously being forced to work together by Voldemort hadn't changed his attitude toward her.

Reluctantly lowering her voice, she repeated, "What is it?"

"I've found a place where we can work on . . . you know."

She looked nervously at the students still filtering into the Great Hall, but none of them had noticed her and Malfoy. "Where?"

"The Room of Requirement."

Memories of last year's DA meetings flashed through her mind, and she realized how perfect it was. No one would be able to stumble upon them accidentally. "Fine. I'll be there tomorrow."

"You'd better."

Her eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean? Voldemort may be able to boss me around, but not slimy gits like you. Try it again and I'll hex your nose off."

He smirked. "I'd like to see you try, Mudblood."

Her wand was at his throat before he could react, but it didn't seem to faze him. "That's another thing I won't put up with. I'm going to say this once. You. Will. Not. Insult my blood status, nor my family, nor anything else about me while we're doing this."

Draco reached up with one finger and lazily pushed the tip of her wand away from his face. "Oh, I see. So you get to insult me, but I don't have the same right. That's great."

She angrily put her wand away. "Let's just get this over with." And she turned to leave.

Before she could, Malfoy had her arm again. He leaned forward until there was only a few inches between them. It made her feel _very _uncomfortable. "This is no joke, Granger. Your family is dead, but mine isn't. Fail to do your part and they're dead. And if they die because of you, petty insults will be the least you'll have to worry about from me."

He released her and pushed past to go into the Great Hall, leaving her there, stricken.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day after classes, she told Ron and Harry that, yes, she had to go to the library even though they'd barely begun school, and made her way to the Room of Requirement. Once there, she stared at the blank wall for several moments before realizing that she had absolutely no idea what to ask of it. Malfoy had somehow left out those details. She spun on one heel, angry, and headed toward the Slytherin Common Room.

No one was supposed to know the location of the common room, but really, how hard was it to figure out where all the Houses' Common Rooms were? All you had to do was follow a member of that house. Ducking to the side, she performed a quick spell to change the details on her robe from Gryffindor red to Slytherin green. Then she ducked her head and followed a couple first year Slytherins down the hall, hoping no one would look at her closely enough to recognize her as a Gryffindor.

They came to the mouth of a large snake statue she'd never noticed, tapped it with their wands, and ducked in as the snake's great mouth opened. She followed them wordlessly. The Slytherin Common room was about the same size as Gryffindor's, but looked bigger because it lacked as much furniture and darker colors covered the walls. Banners of silver and dark green streamed from the high ceiling.

Luckily enough, Malfoy was already there, obviously about to leave. He had, to her shock, several books in his arms. Completely ignoring the group of his friends lounging on the only two couches in the room, he made his way toward the exit.

His silver eyes passed over Hermione and darted back, growing wide. Wordlessly, he gestured out and she followed.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing in my common room?" he exclaimed as soon as they were far enough away as to not be heard.

"I was looking for you! I didn't know what you wanted the Room of Requirement to look like, so obviously I couldn't have gone in, and I didn't know how long I'd have to wait for you to show up."

He shook his head in disbelief and continued onward without saying anything else. When they got to the place in the wall where the Room would appear, he walked in front of it three times, and a door obediently appeared.

"Are you going to tell me what you asked for?" Hermione prompted rather snappily.

He gave her annoyed glare. "Figure it out for yourself."

And Malfoy disappeared into the Room, leaving the door open behind him for her. Inside were piles upon piles of all kinds of junk. Tables, chairs, books, and all other contraptions were everywhere. Dazed by it all, Hermione followed Draco through the maze of objects.

"What is this place?" she wondered aloud.

"The place where all lost things end up."

Draco pushed everything off a nearby table and dumped his books on it.

"You can start on my homework."

She gaped at him, unsure as to whether she'd heard him right. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He said without turning to face her.

"I am not here to do your homework!"

"Really, Granger? I was under the impression that the Dark Lord wanted you to assist me in whatever way you could. And doing my homework while I work everything else out qualifies."

Hermione was about to explode, but stopped herself, taking a deep breath. "So you've got this all figured out?"

"Yes." He said coldly. "What do you think I spent two months doing this summer while you were playing with Weasley and Potter?"

"Really? So you know how to fix these Vanishing Cabinets?"

"Burke couldn't give me very much information, but, yes." He said confidently, finally turning to meet her gaze and coming closer.

"And you have ways to test it?"

"Of course."

"_Living _test subjects?"

He looked momentarily confused. Before he could reply, she added, "And of course you know how to kill Dumbledore, despite the numerous incantations he's likely put around himself over the ages. You don't want to confront him directly, obviously. Don't have the guts to do that. You've done research on the castle; know it's secret passageways, what you can and cannot do inside of it magicwise, etcetera etcetera. You've made sure there isn't any other way for the Death Eaters to get in other than the Vanishing Cabinets. You know if there are any alams put around Hogwarts that go off immediately when a dark wizard or someone else not permitted enters the castle. If there weren't any before third year, there certainly are now after Sirius Black broke in. And you've done-"

"Shut up, Granger! You've made your point!" he said angrily. He walked forward until he was only inches away, glaring at her. She simply sat down in the chair by the table.

"Well then, I guess I'll just start on your homework. Have fun with the Vanishing Cabinet you don't know how to fix."

He lasted exactly five minutes. After she'd begun doing his work, he'd stalked a few feet away to sulk in a corner. When his words came, they were not the words she'd been expecting.

"I know why you hate me."

Her head snapped up. She laughed harshly. "Maybe because you've called me filth for the past six years and made my life as miserable as you can."

"No." he said, and again approached the desk. "You think I told Voldemort how smart you are. You think I'm the reason your parents are dead."

Hermione didn't say anything for a long time. It was true – she'd suspected him. But was he denying it was true?

"_Are _you the reason they're dead?"  
>Draco seemed to be debating whether or not to answer. Finally, "No. I didn't. I don't know why he killed them, or kidnapped you."<p>

She looked for any sign of sarcasm or deception in his face and could find none. Her eyes darted away for a second, tearing up, and she cursed herself. If she was going to cry over her parents, it wasn't going to be in front of Malfoy.

"Listen. I can help you. You may hate me as much as I hate you, but I don't want my friends and their families to die, and you don't want your family to be killed. And as much as you taunt me for always sticking my nose in a book, you must know that I've gained something from all that. I know this castle better than you do."

For a moment it seemed like he might give in, but then his expression hardened and became the arrogant sneer she knew so well. "I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help. Yes, I've done research on the castle, yes I know a thing or two about Vanishing Cabinets, and yes, you can continue doing my Potions essay."

And with that, he turned from her and went back to examining the Cabinet. Hermione, furious, stood up and slammed shut the book she'd had open. "You conceited toad!" She picked up the book and threw it at him, missing by a few feet but succeeding in gaining his attention. "Well, if you're so self-sufficient, you shouldn't need me to do your homework at all! Have fun with your Cabinet. I hope Voldemort smites you to the ground. And soon."

She turned around and strode away through the piles. After a few seconds, she heard his footsteps following and some angry remarks she couldn't quite make out. She'd almost reached the door when a hand wrapped around her forearm, wrenching her backward. Draco stood, seething, in front of her. She ripped her arm out of his grasp.

"If you _ever _try that again-"

"You'll do what?" he mocked her. "You can't leave, or I won't be the only thing Voldemort smites."

She stepped forward and pushed her face in his. "Watch me."

And she tore open the door and stalked down the hallway, not turning to watch the Room vanish.


End file.
